SUMMARY
- FC Barcelona lost to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup, as the game ended 4-1 for the Los Blancos.
- In the 71st minute, Araujo was shown a second yellow card, after going for a dangerous tackle on Vinicius Jr.
Ronald Araujo made headlines in the last few days and it has been for all the wrong reasons. FC Barcelona lost to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup, as the game ended 4-1 for the Los Blancos. Xavi made a questionable decision to play a high defensive line against pacy forwards, including Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo. This came back to haunt him in the first half, as Vinicius made a phenomenal run in behind Barca’s defenders to score the opening goal.
The Brazilian winger scored two more goals, including a penalty, before Rodrygo scored Real’s final goal in the 64th minute. Robert Lewandowski’s 33rd-minute goal proved to be just a consolation for the Catalan giants. In the 71st minute, Araujo was shown a second yellow card, after going for a dangerous tackle on Vinicius Jr. That was the short summary of Araujo’s last few months, since winning the La Liga title last season.
The Uruguayan defender’s exit from Barca has reportedly been talked about, with Manchester United being one of the clubs to be interested. Although the final against Real Madrid may not have a direct connection to the report, his performance against arguably one of the best teams in the world was surely subpar.
🚨 Barcelona are demanding €80m from interested clubs for Ronald Araújo.
Manchester United and Bayern are both keen on the defender. Thomas Tuchel adores him and has made him their main target for the summer.
(Source: @Plettigoal) pic.twitter.com/5m6rQslNfY
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) January 15, 2024
Reports claim that Barcelona will not accept anything below $87 million (€80 million) for Ronald Araujo, as United and Bayern Munich have both shown interest in the last few months. It is not surprising that top clubs have been after the defender. He has shown elite levels of commitment and agility on the field, and has proven that he can represent the best clubs in the world. Moreover, Araujo’s aerial presence are surely one of his strengths that has attracted United and Bayern.
Manchester United have also been interested in this Bayern defender other than Ronald Araujo
Manchester United have been in turmoil for the last few months. Despite signing the likes of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, the Red Devils have failed to achieve the positive results that they have been looking for. Both Varane and Martinez have had their struggles with staying fit, which is one of the reasons why they could be after another center half right now.
🚨🚨🌕| NEW: A move in the summer is not out of the question for Matthijs de Ligt at Bayern Munich. Erik ten Hag is very interested in signing him.
If Ten Hag remains manager at #mufc beyond the summer, it is likely that De Ligt could become a top target.
[@Plettigoal,… pic.twitter.com/zG6mT2u51m
— centredevils. (@centredevils) January 15, 2024
Moreover, the downfall of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof could also play a pivotal role in United’s wish to sign a new defender as well. With that said, it certainly looks like Erik ten Hag is also interested in Matthijs de Ligt. The Dutch defender has proven himself at Bayern, and has even displayed that he could don the armband when needed. The young de Ligt is an aggressive tackler and a brilliant threat in the air on both ends.
Only time will determine who ten Hag signs. There have been instances in the past where United has failed to sign top players after a long transfer saga as well. As things stand right now, both Araujo and de Ligt are set to continue at their respective clubs, at least until the end of the current season.
